Background Vast amounts of data show associations between maternal obesity, dysglycemia, diabetes, and undernutrition during pregnancy and increased cardiovascular disease risk in offspring. However, elevated maternal LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) in pregnancy and offspring cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk has scarcely been studied. Objective Our objective was to investigate the associations between elevated maternal LDL-C in pregnancy and CVD risk factors in 6-to-13-year-old offspring. Methods We recruited 6-to-13-year-old children whose mothers attended a pregnancy cohort and who had high or low cholesterol in pregnancy, defined as LDL-C over the 90th percentile or below the 10th percentile within the pregnancy cohort, respectively. We measured CVD risk factors in the children in the 2 groups. Results Maternal plasma LDL-C at gestational week 14 to 16 was 4.0 and 1.4 mmol/L in the hypercholesterolemic (n = 27) and hypocholesterolemic (n = 34) groups, respectively (P < .001). Interestingly, offspring plasma LDL-C was 0.4 mmol/L higher in children whose mothers had hypercholesterolemia during pregnancy (P < .01). We found no difference in birthweight or any other clinical or biochemical CVD risk factors or dietary intake between the children at 6–13 years. Conclusions Women with elevated LDL-C during early pregnancy have offspring with higher LDL-C already at the age of 6–13 years. Unless cholesterol-reducing measures are successfully implemented, the affected children may be at increased cardiovascular risk.

Background The global obesity epidemic has led to increased attention on pregnancy, a period when women are at risk of gaining excessive weight. Excessive gestational weight gain is associated with numerous complications, for both mother and child. Though the problem is widespread, few studies have examined the effect of a lifestyle intervention in pregnancy designed to limit maternal weight gain. The Fit for Delivery study will explore the effectiveness of nutritional counseling coupled with exercise classes compared with standard prenatal care. The aims of the study are to examine the effect of the intervention on maternal weight gain, newborn birth weight, glucose regulation, complications of pregnancy and delivery, and maternal weight retention up to 12 months postpartum. Methods/design Fit for Delivery is a randomized controlled trial that will include 600 women expecting their first child. To be eligible, women must be 18 years of age or older, of less than 20 weeks gestational age, with a singleton pregnancy, and have a Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥ 19 kg/m2. The women will be randomly allocated to either an intervention group or a control group. The control group will receive standard prenatal care. The intervention group will, in addition, receive nutritional counseling by phone, access to twice-weekly exercise sessions, and information on healthy eating and physical activity provided in pamphlets, evening meetings and an interactive website. Both groups will be monitored by weighing (including bioimpedance measurements of percent body fat), blood tests, self-report questionnaires and hospital record review. Discussion Weight gained in pregnancy affects the health of both the mother and her unborn child, and simple models for efficient intervention are in high demand. The Fit for Delivery intervention provides concrete advice on limiting energy intake and practical training in increasing physical activity. This lifestyle intervention is simple, reproducible, and inexpensive. The design of the study reflects the realities of clinical practice, where patients are free to choose whether or not they respond to health initiatives. If we find measurable health benefits associated with the intervention, it may be an easily adopted supplement to routine prenatal care, in the prevention of obesity.

Current exercise guidelines recommend pregnant women to exercise throughout pregnancy. However, a high percentage of pregnant women are sedentary, and there is an increasing decline of physical activity and exercise, especially in the third trimester. Objective: The aim of the present study was to compare demographic and health-related factors in pregnant women exercising and not exercising in the third trimester. Design: Cross-sectional design comparing exercisers and non-exercisers. Setting. Rikshospitalet University Hospital and Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway. Population: Healthy pregnant women (n = 467) were successively allocated from the application form for birth at Rikshospitalet University Hospital. Methods: A questionnaire, including questions about demographic variables, physical activity level, common pregnancy complaints, social modeling, attitudes and barriers towards exercise participation was answered between gestation-week 32 and 36. Main outcome measures: Demographic variables, pregnancy related health factors and social modeling, including exercise counseling by health care providers, were tested using binary logistic regression analysis. Results: Less than 11% were defined as regular exercisers in the third trimester. Having high gestational weight gain and no social role models with respect to exercise behavior during childhood were inversely associated with third trimester exercise. Pre-pregnancy exercise was the strongest predictor of regular exercise at late gestation. Not receiving advice about exercise from health professionals was borderline significant. Pelvic girdle pain and sick-leave were not statistically significant factors. Conclusions: Pre-pregnancy exercise was strongly related to exercise at late gestation. This study indicates a need for more information and motivation for moderate exercise before and throughout pregnancy.